Chapter Text
The food court is a busy place.
It was just hitting lunch time on Black Friday, and as such every single person in the mall seems to have congregated into this one spot, making an otherwise wide, open space a crowded nightmare of arms and legs and more purses swatting him in the side than Keet can keep track of. It was the sort of place he usually avoided as much as possible - there was little he hated quite as much as being boxed in by throngs of people.
But for this meeting, it was perfect.
The crowd made it difficult to follow someone, and harder still to eavesdrop on them - and, unfortunately, just as tough to realize when you were about to be ambushed by a lanky gargantuan.
An arm slings over Keet's shoulders and Peep's weight presses into him shortly after. Keet's oof and the following "goddamnit Peep, get off!" go unheard - and the next thing he knows his brother is half pushing him through the crowds. Keet stumbles, at first - but then finally manages to find his footing.
"I thought Wheet was coming," he grumbles, "why'd they send you?"
"Aw Keetsie, that hurts!" Peep says with an exaggerated pout in their voice, "it's been like, ten years! Haven't you missed me at all?"
"It's barely been a year," Keet retorts - but then he glances up at Peep and sees his brother looking down at him with wide, wet eyes. It was a puppy-dog sort of look that Peep had long ago perfected, the backup when his yelling and biting didn't get him his way - and Keet knew better than to fall for it but he finds himself huffing a breath through his nose anyway -
"Yeah, yeah. I've missed you, you big galute," he says, "but you and I both know you can't keep a secret worth a damn. I wouldn't be surprised if you had Sheer drive you here! Probably told him everything -"
"I didn't!" Peep exclaims, the echo of their voice loud enough to blow their cover - crowded area or not. Keet elbows his brother in the side - but if Peep notices, it doesn't change a thing. He's just as loud as he continues, "Wheet said I wasn't allowed to say anything to anybody and so I didn't!"
"'Cause you guys ain't supposed to be hanging around me at all," Keet says, "so if you're caught you're gonna be in huge trouble - and so will I -"
"I ain't gonna say a word, Keetsie! Cross my heart and hope to die!"
And when Keet looks up once more, he finds that same bright, wet look on Peep's face. It's the sort of promise Keet can't trust. Peep meant well, but years of growing up together had proven time and time again that their mouth was bigger than their heart and telling him anything was a bad idea. Keet knew better. He should just send his brother on his way and be done with it.
He opens his mouth to do just that, but what comes out instead is -
"Fable's pregnant."
"What!? They're -"
"I just wanted someone to know. Wheet. Or I guess you. Because it just didn't seem - I thought you'd want to - Peep!"
The name escapes Keet in a squeak as his brother crushes him in their arms and lifts him from the ground. Peep spins in a quick, tight circle - and Keet's stomach immediately rolls in protest. There's a number of exclamations from around them - and at least one spat "watch what you're fucking doing!"
"Put me down!" Keet exclaims.
Only after one more spin does Peep set Keet back on his feet - and even if he wouldn't admit it, Keet is glad they keep their hands on his shoulders because with the way the world spins around him Keet's sure he would have fallen over otherwise.
"I can't believe it! You're gonna have a baby! Oh, uh - it is yours, right?"
"Yes, it's mine," Keet says, lifting a hand to brush at his hair a bit, "Crim doesn't work that way."
"That's so awesome - Keetsie's gonna be a dad! No one's gonna believe it -"
"You can't tell anyone else!" Keet snaps, and it must be enough to catch Peep off-guard because he actually pauses with a blink. With a deep breath, Keet tries to temper his voice and continues, "you can tell Wheet. When you're alone. But you can't tell anyone else, Peep."
Keet tugs away from Peep, then, and he puts his hands on his hips and aims a glare at his brother.
"This is the most important promise of your life. You have to stay quiet. Wheet is the only one you can tell." He drops his hands, then, and sighs as he continues, "I know Fleece has tabs on me. Maybe they already know and it doesn't matter - but if there's any chance I can keep this from them - Peep, I'm trying to keep my family safe. So you have to promise me. Really promise - don't make me regret telling you."
"I promise," Peep answers, then, and when Keet looks at them they look - for only a second - the most serious as he has ever seen. Enough so that he almost believes them - up until Peep's face splits back into a wide grin and he asks -
"So when will I get to see them?!"
"You can't, Peep!"
"Oh, I'm sure we can figure something out!" Peep answers, and then his arm is around Keet's shoulders and he's dragging him forward once more and in a voice sure to travel to any listening ears he adds, "I'm gonna be an uncle!!"
And Keet starts thinking about how to convince Fable and Crim to move.